After elections, Germany's economic policy will have far-reaching impact

Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and Chairwoman of the German Christian Democrats (CDU), is bathed in purple light as she celebrates with other members of her party at CDU headquarters after initial results give the CDU 42% of the vote in German federal elections on September 22, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. - Sean Gallup/Getty Images

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was re-elected over the weekend. Her political party, the Christian Democratic Union, finished with about 42 percent of the vote, placing the CDU just below a majority of seats in the Bundestag. For Merkel, the hard work of actually forming a government is underway, with major implications going forward for the global economy.